Merchandise display system

ABSTRACT

A merchandise display system for use in promoting retail consumer products, such as baking goods, includes a supporting element and individual product receptacles which are designed to effectively display the retail products. Each of the individual product receptacles, are removable from the main display and printed with indicia that is related to the particular consumer product or promotion being offered. An incentive or promotional product that has been selected and packaged based on a particular theme or message, such as a holiday or sporting event, is provided in conjunction with the retail product to stimulate sales of the retail product during periods where such retail products are not normally purchased.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a system for displaying bakingproducts in order to stimulate sales during normally stagnant periods.More particularly, the present invention is directed to a displaysystem, which includes not only the principal items to be displayed andsold but also incentive products that are packaged with a particulartheme and presented in such a manner as to compliment the consumer goodswhich are the focus of the merchandising display.

[0003] 2. Background

[0004] Sales of baking products are typically cyclic, that is bakingproduct sales are higher during certain periods of the year or duringspecial times such as holidays than at other times of the year. Forexample, the summer months are typically not significant seasons forbaking product sales. In addition, not all holidays or special occasionscause potential purchasers to remember to buy baking products, forinstance Memorial Day or the Labor Day holidays, which while significantholidays for most Americans, are typically not peak purchase periods forbaking goods. As used herein, baking products refers to cake mixes,brownies and cookie mixes, snack cakes and other desert, snack orcooking mixes which require the consumer to add ingredients such aswater, eggs, milk, sugar, etc. and provide at least one additionalprocessing step such as mixing, cooking or the like.

[0005] The rise of warehouse clubs, superstores, outlets, discountersand bulk distribution centers while creating additional avenues forproduct sales, such superstores or bulk centers have also contributed tothe relatively static, mundane and unassuming display of products. Thesedisplays consist merely of large collections of products placed on apallet or shelf which are then sandwiched in between often giantcollections of similar and competitive consumer goods. This causes aparticular product to become lost or unnoticeable as the consumer isdistracted by the myriad of selections that are available.

[0006] In more conventional grocery stores, shelf space is onlyobtainable at a premium, as there is only a limited amount. As such,retailers or grocers are often hesitant to introduce a large productdisplay unless it can deliver results to the grocer.

[0007] A number of prior systems have been tried to more creativelydisplay products, however many of these displays are unacceptable to theretailer, as the retailer is often required to utilize its employees toremove the product from the shipping or packing cartons and stack theproduct in the display. Where the product manufacturer or assigneddelivery coordinator does the unpacking and stacking, this delays thedelivery person from making additional stops to distribute product tomore locations. Moreover, the time the individual takes in stocking thedisplay, this blocks aisle traffic and prevents consumers from makingpurchases. In addition, such displays are often static or fixed and assuch if a product is introduced during a particular holiday, the productwill appear dated and unusable once the holiday period is over, causingthe manufacturer and retailer to reduce the cost of the product,redistribute it to discounters or as a course of last resort simplydispose of the product in order to remove it from retail shelves.

[0008] Another problem encountered with traditional merchandisingdisplays is that during the unpacking, the outer casing or covering mustbe removed. Some cartons or packages come with tear or zip strips, aseries of predefined perforated areas that are supposed to make removalof the casing easier. However, these perforations may not cut completelythrough the package resulting in the carton not opening completely or atall forcing the retailer to rely on more traditional means to openpackages, such as with a carton cutter or knife. Use of a knife, cartoncutter or razor blade to open packages has lead to products being cutduring the opening, which detracts and even destroys the attractivenessor acceptability of a product for sale to consumers.

[0009] Other merchandising displays have also been developed in aneffort to increase product sales. These displays may have differentsized compartments or shelves in which either products of differentsizes, i.e. 8 ounce and 16 ounce products may be displayed, or in whichcomplimentary products could be displayed, such as with potato chips andchip dip. In the former, if the customer's only choice is carton size,the customer may still not be provided with enough incentive to make thepurchase and in the latter example, a consumer may only purchase thepotato chips or the chip dip but not both, thereby defeating the purposeof the display. While these type of display units are innovative intheir approach, they still suffer from a number of drawbacks. If theproduct is stocked as part of a promotional offering, and the productdoes not sell out during such period, then the retailer is forced tophysically remove the product from the shelf and potentially dispose ofthe display unit itself. This can be a costly and time-consumingexercise.

[0010] Another problem that prior art devices suffer from is that thecases or containers which support the goods to be sold are non-descriptor plain. This detracts from the overall appearance and commercialimpression of the product. With millions of dollars going into creatinga particular look and feel of a product package concealing or coveringthe package up only serves to lessen the value of the investment, as theouter covering or packaging in which the products are shipped hide theproducts from view in the display.

[0011] One such prior art system that uses multiple sized shelves orstorage areas is illustrated in U.S. Design Pat. No. 256,199. Thissystem, while depicting an aesthetically appealing set-up still suffersfrom many of the problems enumerated above, such as stocking, restockingand the display becoming stale or stagnant over time.

[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 4,448,303 depicts another type of merchandisingdisplay in which a series of products are disposed in a preconfigured,slotted arrangement allowing the consumer to pull individual productfrom the display. However, this merchandising display suffers from theproblem that after a number of product units have been withdrawn fromthe display, the remaining products looked “picked over” possiblydiscouraging the consumer from selecting other products in the displaythereby permitting the product to go stale and become outdated beforebeing purchased.

[0013] U.S. Pat. No. 2,263,524 represents a still further merchandisingsystem in which the particular display is provided with indicia relatedto the product intending to be sold. However, the indicia and displayare integral with one another and cannot be changed in the event themanufacturer or retailer wishes to combine the product with otherproducts endeavor to drive sales of the particular product.

[0014] U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,162 is a shipping package that is used inconnection with bulk distribution centers and consists of outerpackaging which is removed upon receipt and a number of smaller displaycartons which are then positioned in the warehouse store. However, thissystem contributes to the problem identified above, that of having rowafter row of seemingly indifferent displays of products creatinganonymity for the very product that is intended to be sold. Moreover,due to the bulk nature of the product, that is thereby a significantvolume of the product in the shipment, a large percentage of the productmay expire or become outdated long before the product is ever sold. Inaddition, as the product is distributed on pallets, when the amount ofproduct is withdrawn from the front of the pallet, the consumer mustoften times climb onto the pallet to reach product which is furtherback.

[0015] Therefore, what is needed is a system for displaying consumer orretail products, such as baking products, in a manner which triggersadditional purchases of the products so as to increase sales of bakingproducts during traditionally slow periods in the calendar year. Inaddition, the merchandising display system should be one that minimizesrequirements by the retailer, such as the possible set up of the displayand damage to the product during installation and unpacking. The displaysystem should also be one that is readily manageable during transportand one that can be easily reconfigured to accommodate differentpromotions, calendar events, provide greater access to the products, fitwithin the available retail space and be easy and quick to assemble.

[0016] Accordingly, one aspect of the invention is to provide amerchandising display system that stimulates the sale of baking productsby providing the consumer with an incentive or promotional producthaving a certain theme to remind the consumer that it is a good time touse baking products.

[0017] Another aspect of the invention is to provide a merchandisingdisplay system in which the products are contained on removable panels,trays or containers so that the display can be reconfigured andcustomized to make the display more aesthetically appealing to theconsumer and retailer.

[0018] One preferred embodiment of the present invention relates to amerchandising display system for displaying consumer products having asubstantially rigid platform with first and second surfaces and firstthrough fourth end edges. The first surface has a relatively planar areathat is sized and configured to receive at least two different types ofproducts.

[0019] At least first and second product support panels are provided andone of which is sized and configured to fit within the planar area ofthe first surface of the rigid platform. At least one retail producthaving a size less than the planar area of the first surface of therigid platform and being displayed in a manner to occupy at least halfof the first surface of the rigid platform. The retail product is sizedand configured to fit within one of the first and second product supportpanels.

[0020] A promotional product is supplied in combination with the retailproduct and the product support panel but provided separate and distinctfrom the retail product on the first surface of the rigid platform. Thepromotional product is presented with a theme to reflect a particularperiod in which the merchandising display is presented.

[0021] A further embodiment of the invention relates to a system forpromoting sales of units of retail consumer product and includes asubstantially rigid element sized and configured to support at least oneunit of retail consumer product. The substantially rigid element havingfirst through fourth end edges and first and second surfaces.

[0022] At least one consumer product holding container is provided andis designed to display the unit of retail consumer product in anaesthetically pleasing manner. The product holding container is sizedand configured to fit on one of the first and second surfaces of thesubstantially rigid element. In addition, the product holding containeris printed with indicia related to the unit of retail consumer product.

[0023] At least one unit of consumer incentive product having aparticular theme, is provided in combination with the unit of retailconsumer product. The unit of consumer incentive product is arranged inproximate relation to but distinct from the unit of retail consumerproduct.

[0024] The unit of retail consumer product being provided insubstantially greater volume than the unit of consumer incentive productand the unit of consumer incentive product being provided in apredetermined ratio to the unit of retail consumer product.

[0025] The combination of the unit of consumer incentive product and theunit of consumer retail product along with the holding containerpromotes sales of the unit of retail consumer product.

[0026] A still further embodiment of the present invention includes amodular system for promoting sales of units of retail consumer productsand provides at least a first unit of retail consumer product and atleast a first unit of consumer promotional product.

[0027] At least first and second receiving trays are included in thesystem, with one of the first and second receiving trays sized andconfigured to receive the unit of retail consumer product and the secondof the first and second receiving trays sized and configured to receivethe unit of promotional consumer product.

[0028] A rigid supporting element sized and configured to receive atleast one of each of the first and second receiving trays and each ofthe first and second receiving trays being moveable into and out ofoperative association with the rigid supporting element.

[0029] The first receiving tray has a dimension that is distinct fromsaid second receiving tray such that the first and second receivingtrays may receive units of retail consumer products and consumerincentive products having at least one different dimension, such thatthe first and second receiving trays can be arranged in a non-staticconfiguration.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0030] The invention described in this application pertains to amerchandise display system for use in promoting retail consumerproducts, such as baking goods. The display system includes a supportingelement or base upon which to stack the product receptacles. Individualproduct receptacles are provided and are designed to effectively displaythe retail products and to allow the retailer or wholesaler to customizea particular display in an effort to more readily fit the area intowhich the products are being placed. As such, the invention requiresthat each of the individual product receptacles, are removable from themain display in effect creating a modular display. Most if not all ofthe trays or receptacles are printed with indicia that is related to theparticular consumer product or promotion being offered. This creates amore aesthetically appealing display than those that are provided inplain packaging or cartons. To compliment the consumer product beingoffered, an incentive or promotional product that has been selected andpackaged based on a particular theme or message, such as a holiday orsporting event, is provided in conjunction with the retail product tostimulate sales of the retail product during periods where such retailproducts are not normally purchased.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031]FIG. 1 is a front perspective of the merchandising display systemmade in accordance with the present invention;

[0032]FIG. 2 is a front perspective of one of the product holdingreceptacles made in accordance with the present invention;

[0033]FIG. 3 is a front perspective of another of the product holdingreceptacles made in accordance with the present invention;

[0034]FIG. 4 is a front perspective of a sample of incentive productprovided in connection with the present invention;

[0035]FIG. 5 is a front perspective of the merchandising display systemshowing a different product configuration and made in accordance withthe present invention;

[0036]FIG. 6 is a front perspective of the rigid supporting platformused in accordance with the present invention; and

[0037]FIG. 6A is a back perspective of the rigid supporting platformused in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] A merchandising display system according to the present inventionis shown generally by reference numeral 10 in FIGS. 1 and 5. Themerchandising display system 10 comprises a substantially rigid platform12 having first 14 and second surface 16, illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 6A,and first through fourth end edges18, 20, 22 and 24, shown in FIG. 6 and6A. The first surface 14 of the rigid supporting element 12 issubstantially planar and sized and configured to accept product supportpanels, trays, containers or receptacles 26 and 40 shown in FIGS. 2 and3. The second surface 16 of the rigid supporting surface 16, show inFIG. 6A is connected to the first surface 14 through each of the endedges 18, 20, 22 and 24. The second surface 16 may be provided with liftassist elements 17 and 17′ shown in FIG. 6A as parallel channelsextending the length of the platform 12. In addition to parallelchannels which are often used with fork lifts or hand trucks, wheels orhandles (not shown) may be provided to enable the platform to be movedeasily without any auxiliary equipment.

[0039] Product support panels 26 and 40 are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 butmay also be product receiving trays, product containers or receptacles,each of which are sized and configured to hold either retail or consumerproducts or units 11, 11′ or incentive or promotional products or units13 as seen in FIGS. 1 and 5. Consumer products in FIG. 1 could be bakingproducts, such as cake and brownie mixes, pancake and waffle mixes,frosting, muffin and biscuit mixes and the like. In FIG. 1 for thepurposes of illustration 11 refers to a cake mix and 11′ shows afrosting container to be used in connection with the cake mix. Of coursecake mixes can be used to make cupcakes and other products. Each of thepanels or containers 26 and 40 is removable from the first surface 14 ofthe support 12 to create a modular system that can be rearranged orconfigured to meet the needs of the retailer or emphasize the marketingprogram for the display 10.

[0040] Where receiving trays or containers are used for the productsupport panels 26 and 40, each of the trays or containers are providedwith end walls or edges 28, 28′, 30, 30′, 32, 32′ and 34, 34′ whichextend generally perpendicularly from the supporting base 36 and 36′.One or more of the walls may be printed with indicia 38 that is relatedto the consumer or retail product or unit 11, 11′ that is the principalpart of the display 10. The indicia 38 may include reference to thebrand, the type of retail or consumer product 11, 11′ that is within thecontainer or tray 26 or 40. The indicia 38′ may be related to thepromotional or incentive product or unit 13 or may compliment theconsumer or retail product or unit 11 or 11′. The walls of the trays orcontainers should be of sufficient height and thickness to support andhold the product within the area of the base 36 or 36′. Each of thecontainers or trays 26 and 40 may be made of paperboard, cardboard,plastic or other suitable material, which will support the products 11,11′ and 13 that are being inserted within the containers or trays 26 and40.

[0041] The first tray or container 26 shown in FIG. 2 has differentdimensions and volume than that of the tray or container 40 shown inFIG. 3. The different dimensions accommodate different sized products.Each of the containers or trays 26 or 40 are sized and configured sothat they will fit on the surface 14 of the rigid supporting platform12. The tray or container of FIG. 3 is sized and configured toaccommodate promotional or incentive items 13, a sample of which isshown in FIG. 4. The promotional or incentive items 13 are usually of adifferent shape than the retail or consumer products 11 or 11′. Thisdifference aids in distinguishing the promotional or incentive product13 from the rest of the display 10 or vice versa, the retail or consumerproducts 11 and 11′ from the promotional or incentive product 13. Thisdifference also makes for a more aesthetically pleasing display 10.

[0042] As the retail or consumer product 11 or 11′ is the principalfocus of the merchandising display system 10, the retail or consumerproduct 11 or 11′ is provided in a quantity that is greater than theincentive or promotional product 13 so that the retail or consumerproduct occupies at least half of the surface 14 of the rigid supportingplatform 12.

[0043] Turning now to FIG. 4 that illustrates a promotional or incentiveproduct 13 that is complimentary to retail or consumer product 11 or11′. The FIG. 4 incentive or promotional product 13 is intended to betheme oriented. As used herein, theme oriented relates to a particularholiday, calendar period sporting event, calendar season, personal event(such as birthdays, anniversaries, graduations) or the like. For thepurposes of illustrating the invention, the incentive product 13 isimprinted with holiday indicia 42. This particular incentive product 13includes several separate elements including a frosting or icingcontainer 44, colored candy sprinkles 46 and cupcake holders 48. All ofthese elements are contained in a protective casing 50 that serves notonly to hold the elements 44, 46 and 48 in place but also to protecteach of the elements from tampering or loss during shipping andhandling. These individual elements compliment the cake mix which it isbeing sold with and encourages the consumer to make cupcakes during theparticular holiday or calendar period, such as for a back to schoolevent, scout meetings or other extra curricular events. In addition tocandy sprinkles or decorations, a promotional or incentive offering mayinclude cookie cutters, or even free food such as a free brownie mixwhen two cake mixes are bought or a free frosting container to cover theparticular baked goods.

[0044] The incentive or promotional product 13 may not be food additivesor decorations as illustrated in the current example of FIG. 4. Otherincentives or promotional products could include footballs during thecollege bowl season or professional playoffs, baseballs for the WorldSeries and other sporting goods to coincide with particular events, suchas commemorative pins for the Olympic games. In addition offerings couldinclude music CDs, toy cars for races, storage bags or containers tostore the extra cupcakes or brownies.

[0045] In addition to providing the incentives or promotional offerings13, a particular ratio of promotional products to consumer or retailgoods 11, 11′ is derived and part of the overall presentation of themerchandising display 10. This ratio of consumer products 11 topromotional products 13 may be 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4 or any othercombination, depending upon the value of the promotional offering 13 tothe value of the consumer or retail product 11, 11′. For instance aconsumer may need to purchase three boxes of brownie mix to get a freestorage container, or two boxes of cake mix to get a free cupcake kit asis illustrated in FIG. 4.

[0046] Where multiple consumer or retail products or units 11 and 11′are provided as illustrated in FIG. 1, the ratio of products 11 and 11′will be adjusted to the incentive or promotional products or units 13.For example, two boxes of cake mix and one frosting container must bepurchased to get one free promotional product or 2:1:1. Of course otherpossible ratios are available, such as 1:1:1 or 2:2:1 depending again onthe relative value of the products or units when compared to oneanother.

[0047]FIG. 5 is provided to illustrate that the product or containertrays 26 and 40 are removable from the rigid platform 12 and can bestacked in any manner to make the merchandising display 10 moreaesthetically appealing.

[0048] It will thus be seen according to the present invention a highlyadvantageous merchandise display have been provided. While the inventionhas been herein shown and described in what is presently conceived to bethe most practical and preferred embodiment thereof, it will be apparentto those of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications may bemade thereof within the scope of the invention, which scope is to beaccorded the broadest interpretation of the appended claims so as toencompass all equivalent structures and products.

What is claimed is:
 1. A merchandising display system for displayingconsumer products comprising: a substantially rigid platform havingfirst and second surfaces and first through fourth end edges, said firstsurface having a relatively planar area sized and configured to receiveat least two different types of products; at least first and secondproduct support panels at least one of which is sized and configured tofit within said planar area of said first surface; at least one retailproduct having a size less than said planar area of said first surfaceof said rigid platform and being displayed in a manner to occupy atleast half of said first surface of said rigid platform; said retailproduct being sized and configured to fit within one of said first andsecond product support panels; and wherein at least one promotionalproduct is supplied in combination with said retail product and saidproduct support panel but provided separate and distinct from saidretail product on said first surface of said rigid platform and saidpromotional product is presented with a theme to reflect a particularperiod in which the merchandising display is presented.
 2. Amerchandising display system recited in claim 1 wherein there are atleast two retail products are provided for use in connection with themerchandising display system.
 3. A merchandising display system asrecited in claim 2 wherein said retail products are baking products. 4.A merchandising display system as recited in claim 3 wherein said bakingproducts include at least one decorating product.
 5. A merchandisingdisplay system as recited in claim 1 wherein said first through fourthend edges provide a space between said first and second surfaces.
 6. Amerchandising display system as recited in claim 1 wherein said firstand second product support panels each have at least first and secondend edges and first and second side edges.
 7. A merchandising displaysystem as recited in claim 6 wherein each of said first and second endedges and said first and second side edges are walls extendingsubstantially perpendicularly from each of said end and side edges.
 8. Amerchandising display system as recited in claim 6 wherein each of saidfirst and second product support panels is removable from said rigidplatform.
 9. A merchandising display system as recited in claim 1wherein at least one of said first and second product support panels isprovided with printed indicia substantially related to said retailproduct.
 10. A merchandising display system as recited in claim 7wherein at least one of said walls is provided with printed indiciarelated to said retail product.
 11. A system for promoting sales ofunits of retail consumer products comprising: a substantially rigidelement sized and configured to support at least one unit of retailconsumer product, said substantially rigid element having first throughfourth end edges and first and second surfaces; at least one consumerproduct holding container designed to display said unit of retailconsumer product in an aesthetically pleasing manner, said productholding container sized and configured to fit on one of said first andsecond surfaces of said substantially rigid element, and said productholding container being printed with indicia related to said unit ofretail consumer product; at least one unit of consumer incentive producthaving a particular theme, provided in combination with said unit ofretail consumer product, said unit of consumer incentive productarranged in proximate relation to but distinct from said unit of retailconsumer product; said unit of retail consumer product being provided insubstantially greater volume than said unit of consumer incentiveproduct and said unit of consumer incentive product being provided in apredetermined ratio to said unit of retail consumer product; whereinsaid combination of said unit of consumer incentive product and saidunit of consumer retail product along with said at least one holdingcontainer promotes sales of said unit of retail consumer product.
 12. Asystem for promoting sales of units of retail consumer products asrecited in claim 11 wherein said unit of retail consumer productcomprises more than half of said one of said first and second surfaceareas of said rigid element.
 13. A system for promoting sales of unitsof retail consumer products as recited in claim 11 wherein said ratio ofsaid unit of consumer incentive product to said unit of consumer retailproduct is approximately 1:2.
 14. A system for promoting sales of unitsof retail consumer products as recited in claim 11 wherein said ratio ofsaid unit of consumer incentive product to said unit of consumer retailproduct is approximately 1:1.
 15. A system for promoting sales of unitsof retail consumer products as recited in claim 11 wherein said ratio ofsaid unit of consumer incentive product to said unit of consumer retailproduct is approximately 1:3.
 16. A system for promoting sales of unitsof retail consumer products as recited in claim 11 wherein said ratio ofsaid unit of consumer incentive product to said unit of consumer retailproduct is approximately 1:4.
 17. A modular system for promoting salesof units of retail consumer products comprising; at least a first unitof retail consumer product; at least a first unit of consumerpromotional product; at least first and second receiving trays, one ofsaid first and second receiving trays sized and configured to receivesaid unit of retail consumer product and said second of said first andsecond receiving trays sized and configured to receive said unit ofpromotional consumer product; a rigid supporting element sized andconfigured to receive at least one of each of said first and secondreceiving trays and each of said first and second receiving trays beingmoveable into and out of operative association with said rigidsupporting element; and wherein said first receiving tray has adimension that is distinct from said second receiving tray such thatsaid first and second receiving trays may receive units of retailconsumer products and consumer incentive products having at least onedifferent dimension, such that said first and second receiving trays canbe arranged in a non static configuration.
 18. A modular system forpromoting sales of units of retail consumer products as recited in claim17 wherein said unit of consumer promotional product are created with atheme denoting a particular calendar period.
 19. A modular system forpromoting sales of units of retail consumer products as recited in claim17 wherein said unit of consumer promotional product are created with atheme denoting a particular event.
 20. A modular system for promotingsales of units of retail consumer products as recited in claim 17wherein said unit of consumer promotional product are interchangable toupdate a promotion surrounding said units of retail consumer products.